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Leadership Breakthroughs Blog Articles

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Introducing Anti-Goals; What are the Advantages and Pitfalls?

October 23, 2021

As purveyor of effective goal planning for over two decades, I am more aware than most folks about how goal setting is used and misused. When I recently discovered the term “Anti-Goals”, my curiosity peaked. Is this backlash for pursing goals?

I’ve discovered and documented some really good reasons for people to sour on the idea of goal setting. Here are three examples of how and when using goal setting as a leadership tool can fail.

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Pizza or Broccoli: A Slam-Dunk or Curious Conundrum?

October 4, 2021

While our food favorites may vary, we all have them. And we tend to choose them more often than our less favorable choices. Our food decision making can provide clues to our workday decision making. Let’s take a closer look.

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Chicago Executive Coaching Rated 5 Best Executive Coaching Programs in Chicago

September 14, 2021

In an article dated September 8, 2021 by business rating site Kev’s Best, correspondent Shera Elliott compiled a list of the 5 Best Executive Leadership Coaching firms serving the Chicago Area.

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Developing Empathy in a Polarized World

September 2, 2021

Most citizens of the world have experienced two of the most disruptive two years we can remember. The result is the proliferation of FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. In the presence of FUD, it’s all too easy to become self absorbed with our own challenges. And thereby easy to dismiss those of others.

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Introverts Leading Extroverts: Where are the Disconnects and Pitfalls?

August 16, 2021

Part 2 of 2 This post is the follow up to Extroverts Leading Introverts which explored the reverse scenario. How Much of An Introvert

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Extroverts Leading Introverts: Where are the Disconnects and Pitfalls?

June 4, 2021

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your level of extroversion?
If you gave yourself an extrovert rating of 7 or higher…

* You are more likely than most to experience conflict when interacting with the more introverted people in your workplace
* To effectively lead these folks, you will be more effective by adapting your approach.

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Avoiding Touchy-Feely

April 18, 2021

I once had a new coaching client begin our engagement with this intriguing request. “I don’t want this to get touchy-feely.”
On the surface, this is a potential challenge for a leadership coach. One of the most important aspects of a coach-client relationship is connection. Does connection require getting touchy-feely? It depends on what that term really means to the person making request. There are similarities between a coach’s role and a leader’s role. So let’s take a closer look at the possible rewards and consequences with a touchy-feely approach to communication.

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How Preemptive are You? 7 Quick, Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself when Blindsided

February 25, 2021

We likely agree that integrity is a critical leadership trait. With your reputation on the line, I would argue that a leader’s integrity is so important that it needs to be defended whenever it’s threatened or challenged. As a leader, your integrity is judged on your ability to both make and keep your promises.

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2020 – Turning Lemons into Lemonade

December 31, 2020

My 2020 Lemonade: I’m extremely fortunate. I would describe the year as an opportunistic adventure. My friends and family have stayed healthy and safe. I know I’m in the minority when I share that I’ve had a really great year. I’m aware of my fortuitous status. So I’m compelled to share my recipe for 2020 lemonade.

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Your Zoom Presence: Put Your Best Face Forward

December 1, 2020

While it may be true that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The truth is that we not only judge books, we also judge people. It may seem superficial, but we all make snap judgements based on experiences, sights and sounds. When you show up for a virtual meeting, you’re being judged by your non verbal communication. If you want others to respect your ideas, you need to look and sound like a person worthy of that respect.

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mental fitness

How Judgmental Are You?

Being a judgmental leader is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut – it’s destructive and totally unnecessary. Constant criticism and belittling from a leader create a pressure cooker environment that will eventually blow the lid off your team’s productivity and job satisfaction.

Not only that, but being overly judgmental can discourage your team from making decisions and taking initiative which can lead to a stagnant organization. Low morale, high turnover rates, and poor communication and teamwork are all signs of a toxic leadership style.

July 11, 2023 No Comments

communication skills

A Lesson in Asking and Listening from Ted Lasso

Asking questions and actively listening to the answers is a valuable communication skill that can help us understand others better, build stronger relationships, and even

April 12, 2023 No Comments

attitude development

How Do You Reward Failure in Your Organization or Team?

What Kind of Question is This?
We can agree that it’s provocative. When is failure ever the goal? So why should we ever want to encourage or reward it? What might happen if you actually did reward failure?

March 2, 2023 No Comments

self leaderhship

Meet the OTHER Kevin McCarthy

Had enough with the political leadership circus world? There’s a different Kevin McCarthy I’d like you to meet. He’s the author of several highly impactful books. Two of them I’ve read, recommended and gifted for years.

January 6, 2023 No Comments

attitude development

How to Spread Gratitude in Our Digital World

How Complimentary is YOUR Close? This is the part of a letter that immediately precedes the writer’s signature, consisting of words such as Sincerely, Cordially, Very truly yours, Best regards, etc. We’ve always done it that way.
I believe it’s OK to declare your sincerity or to close cordially. Writers have used those terms for over a century, When would it be time to explore more personalized alternatives? How about today?

November 22, 2022 2 Comments

decision making

Your Post-Pandemic Hangover: Are You Now More Risk Averse?

How Could You NOT be more Risk Averse?
Citizens of the world have experienced relentless fear, uncertainty and doubt since the pandemic began in 2020. We rode in a seemly endless emotional roller coaster. After such a long and rough ride, it’s only human to affected by our experiences. Figuratively speaking, all of us are still experiencing after effects. I’m not qualified to offer a clinical assessment. So my civilian term is “Pandemic Hangover.” Unlike a binge hangover, emotional recovery from our Pandemic Hangover lasts much longer than a day or two.

October 3, 2022 No Comments